Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think we just heard today from the witnesses from the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association that there has been no consultation done on the carbon tax or the price on carbon. We have witnesses here today who said this would determine whether this industry will be able to continue to grow or even be in existence. We had the potash association a couple of weeks ago say something similar. The mining association is speaking for their group, but they don't agree with that stance. They feel this is a real, legitimate concern with regard to what the impact is going to be on their industry. Certainly today we heard that oil is over $50 a barrel, but in the same day Enbridge has announced that it's going to lay off another 370 workers, many of those in Calgary. Calgary has a vacancy rate of 30% downtown. It's incredible to go to a city like Calgary where you see complete floors deserted in office buildings. I've lived there most of my life and I've never seen anything like this before.
In one of my small communities, High River, minor hockey registration is down 50% because families aren't able to afford it right now. I would really like to see some data or some background from the department showing what the ramifications of the carbon tax or the price on carbon are going to be, and showing that it has done its due diligence, has consulted with industry, and has consulted with stakeholders. Was there really a financial and economic impact study done before this was announced earlier this month? I haven't seen that, and I think it behooves us a committee to be a voice for the natural resources sector.
As my colleague stated, we're going to hear from both sides, and if the ministers are confident in this policy, then there shouldn't be anything to be concerned about from the government side. For us as opposition, and for me as an Albertan, I'm hearing every single day from residents who just can't believe that with a very fragile economy not only in Alberta but also with the impact this will have across the country from Alberta to Atlantic Canada, that this would be the time to introduce something like this. The timing is just really what shocks me the most when I have a province that now has unemployment at double digits, which certainly I've never seen in my lifetime in Alberta either. As a committee, we are really responsible for taking a look at this and at the possible ramifications for our natural resources sector.